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Lion Hunting Saved: A CITES Update

(posted October 15, 2004)

There is some very good news to pass along about the latest CITES meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, and we are fortunate here at The Hunting Report to be able to pass it along to you directly from the most important pro-hunting activist in the world today, John J. Jackson, III, of Conservation Force. At our request, Jackson sent the following short summary of events this morning, just hours before he boarded a plane back to the US. Jackson's Conservation Force bulletin this month will contain much more detail. Jackson writes:

"The hunting community experienced one of its most successful CITES COPs (Conferences of the Parties) in memory. The biggest success was the total defeat of Kenya's proposal to uplist the African lion to CITES I - a move that would have interrupted, if not ended altogether, American hunters' abilities to import these trophies into the US. Kenya had to completely withdraw the proposal, and it outraged other African range nations by making a host of misrepresentations in its withdrawal statement. This total defeat was the outcome of three hard years of work by Conservation Force and its partners.

"We were ready for Kenya's proposal because we saw it coming. Sources told us that the antis were building a case against lion hunting, and they were shopping for a country to introduce such a proposal. As recently as two years ago, there were press articles around the world trumpeting the 'fact' that the lion population had fallen precipitously and that the African lion was 'endangered.'

"At COP 13, we were able to turn that misperception completely around. We were able to do that because Conservation Force and its partners consulted, or engaged, more than 60 of the foremost lion authorities in the world, plus dozens of African agencies. We spared no effort or expense because we had so far to go to overcome the misinformation campaign. The end result was the publication of the most comprehensive large-cat study ever undertaken. The study established that the lion population in Africa is generally stable, but of special concern because of its conflict with people. In Tanzania, for example, the country that has the greatest number of lions, more than 100 people a year are being eaten and the number is escalating as lions are increasing.

"By the time COP 13 delegates arrived in Bangkok last week, the 25 nations of the European Union, all of the African nations except Kenya, plus the US and Canada, opposed the uplisting. The IUCN and TRAFFIC that advise the CITES Secretariat and Parties, as well as the Secretariat itself, all opposed the uplisting. The proposal was dead on arrival.

"Conservation Force represented itself and Dallas Safari Club, one of its most important partners, at COP 13. Our most important partner on the lion issue specifically has been the International Game Foundation in Paris, particularly Bertrand des Clers who provided able advice and guidance. Most of the funding for the lion effort was contributed by hunting conservationist Steven Chancellor. Absolutely no one has given more than he has to save the African lion. Our most helpful on-site ally at COP 13 was the very able Manuel Esparrago of FACE, which represents 7,000,000 of Europe's hunters. He lobbied the EU delegation daily.

"Besides the lion victory, here are some other noteworthy developments: .

Crocodile hunting trophies from Zambia and Namibia are now importable without import permits. This completes two long campaigns of Conservation Force and its many partners. It will be 90 days before the Namibian downlisting is effective, but Zambian crocodile trophies are importable now.

.Namibia and South Africa each have been awarded a quota of five black rhino per year as a reward for their successful rhino conservation programs. There was overwhelming support and recognition of the role safari hunting has played in the recovery of the white rhino and will now play in the recovery of the black rhino. These were also initiatives of Conservation Force and its partners. However, US hunters should be forewarned that the black rhino, unlike the white rhino, is listed as "endangered," and it has been the practice of the US Fish & Wildlife Service to deny trophy imports of species so listed. Hopefully, that will now change. In the meantime, though, do not be misled into booking a hunt for a rhino you may or may not be able to import into the US. .The leopard hunting quotas of South Africa and Namibia were both doubled. Conservation Force and its partners helped draft South Africa's proposal." - John J. Jackson, III.

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